Exercise Is Good For Your Health (But Bad For Your Concentration)
by Maegfen
Summary: In which Kane unwittingly seduces Abby through the medium of exercise (or, the one where Abby and Kane are both idiots in love [and denial]) - set some way in the future


**Author's note:** I'm not entirely sure where the idea for this came from, but I couldn't get it out of my head, so here it is! Set in the future when everyone is happy.  
Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The first time she spots him she doesn't even realize who it is. All she can see is a figure running on the far side of the lake at a time that is entirely too early. She watches them, legs stretching comfortably out in front of them as they make their way round the scenic landscape. Twenty minutes later and she realizes she is _still_ watching them and the unknown person is transforming ever so slowly into the familiar figure of Marcus Kane. Shit.

She blushes and ducks back into the medical tent as he approaches the camp and ignores him for the rest of the day in fear that he knows she was spying. He doesn't notice.

XxXxX

The next day he is out there again and Abby spots him as she heads for her early shift. Clarke is officially apprenticing with her and they are going to go through the current stocks before they 'open' for the day. Kane seems to be heading in a different direction this morning, running out towards the edge of the forest. His longs legs carry him smoothly and Abby watches until she can't see him anymore.

She wonders where his route will take him today and how long it will take him and if he took enough water to stay hydrated when she belatedly realizes that Clarke is asking her a question. She shakes her thoughts of Kane from her head, answers her daughter and pretends not to notice the man wandering past the tent door 40 minutes later heading to the shower block…

XxXxX

The pattern continues every day for weeks. Kane heads out for a run about 10 minutes before she leaves for work. Abby normally tracks him from her cabin window as he makes his way out in the morning, although sometimes she happens to find herself in the middle of the camp with an excellent view of him as he heads out. (Sometimes she stands stock still in the middle of the camp for a good 10 minutes just staring… she's thankful no one else is normally up that early in the morning.)

She notices he has different routes for different days and that he doesn't run on a Wednesday or a Saturday, the two days he has early patrols. Sometimes he goes out for 20 minutes and sometimes he's gone for a good two hours.

She thinks it's good for him to be out running. It's good exercise. As a medical professional she definitely approves.

Abby does worry though. He always runs on his own. Whether this is because he asks for solitude or because everyone else in the camp is too afraid to join him she doesn't know. What if he literally runs into trouble and no one knows where he's gone? She decides to keep an eye on him in the mornings to make sure he returns to the camp safely. It's the least she can do.

XxXxX

She is busy reading through Sinclair's latest engineering report, but is actually thinking about how good Kane looked when he left on one of his longer runs this morning, when she collides heavily with a solid wall of something. She drops the report and almost falls backwards when she feels hands clutch her arms to steady her.

"Careful," she hears someone say and she closes her eyes. _Oh of all the people_… "Are you ok Abby?"

"I'm fine Kane," she answers, looking up at him. He's smiling at her, a wide grin, but he's sweaty and breathing heavily and standing entirely too close for comfort. She feels her heart racing, but blames it on the surprise of bumping into him. "Sorry about that, I wasn't concentrating on where I was going."

"Is Sinclair's report really that riveting?" He jests as he picks up the fallen report and hands it to her.

"I wish. I was just…" Ah. Right. She can't admit to the man that she was thinking about him, "uh, thinking," she finishes lamely, trying to distract him with a smile.

He looks at her curiously, and sweeps a hand through his hair.

"Well, you just… carry on then," he suggests. "I'm in need of a shower."

XxXxX

He leaves then, and Abby tracks his movements. Great, now she has images of Kane in the shower to distract her instead.

"So," Clarke says casually, leaning against the table in the medical tent, "how long have you been in love with Chancellor Kane?"

Abby has her back to her daughter but still manages to drop the scalpel she is disinfecting in shock. The clatter of the metal on the table is deafening in the quiet of the tent as the question hangs in the air. She takes a deep breath before turning around.

"I'm not in love with Kane. Don't be ridiculous."

"Come on Mom, I've seen the way you look at him. It's like the way you used to look at Dad."

There's no judgment in her daughter's eyes, no scathing look, just a form of acceptance. Her experience on the ground has clearly changed her perspective on a lot of things.

"Clarke," she warns, giving her a stern look.

"Don't forget the fact that you watch him run around the lake every day… that's pretty obsessive, even for you Mom."

"He doesn't run every day…" Abby utters quickly in her own defense, before realizing her mistake. Clarke has the biggest grin on her face. Abby closes her eyes and sighs. "You are never to mention this again," is all she can think to say. She doesn't confirm or deny her daughter's accusation, but is pretty sure that Clarke will draw her own conclusion anyway.

(And just because she watches him every day that he _does_ run does _not_ mean it's an obsession. It's purely medical; clearly she needs to know if he collapses from heat exhaustion.)

XxXxX

"You do know he loves you too right," Clarke says the next day as she picks her way through the small patch of grass. They're looking for analgesic roots that Lincoln claims grow nearby.

"I thought we weren't mentioning this again," Abby mutters distractedly.

"I never made any promises," Clarke answers, glancing up at her mother. "And anyway, I was talking about Kane, not you."

"Marcus Kane does not love me," Abby says determinedly, looking at her daughter. "You should drop this Clarke."

"Mom, come on, he's been making eyes at you for months."

She's just about to refute that claim when they are interrupted by a noise from the trees and the man himself slows to a stop as he reaches them.

"Ladies," he says in greeting, although his eyes are focused solely on Abby, his gaze intense. She shifts her weight awkwardly, wondering if she's got dirt on her face. He ignores her apparent discomfort and lifts his bottle to his lips and takes a drink.

"Chancellor Kane," Clarke replies politely. Her daughter is obviously struggling to keep a straight face as she watches the two of them.

Abby continues to stare at Kane as he swallows his water until Clarke nudges her, holding back a grin.

"Kane, hello," she says, looking at him, smiling. She tries to find something else to say so she doesn't come across as an idiot. "Nice morning isn't it?"

"Real smooth Mom," Clarke mutters under her breath so only Abby can hear. She glares at her daughter before turning back to Kane, desperate to prove she's not reduced to acting like a smitten 15 year old in his presence.

"It is indeed," he replies. "I thought I'd take a more scenic route today." He gestures towards the forest.

"It is a beautiful route," she comments. "Do you run it often?" She asks the question even though she knows the answer. (It's entirely possible that Clarke is right; she might be a little bit obsessed.)

"A couple of times a week normally; it gives me time to think." He smiles at her then, and she vaguely wonders whether he thinks of her at all.

"That's nice," is all Abby can think to say. "That's good, thinking is good; productive." She groans internally; she is _such_ an idiot.

Kane nods but doesn't say anything. His eyes lock with hers again and he smiles. Not the grin he's taken to giving her when he sees her, but a small, almost sly one… like he's planning something. Abby swears he winks at her, but it's also completely possible some sweat has fallen in his eye.

"I should keep going," he says, still maintaining eye contact with Abby, who nods.

"Ok," she replies, and Clarke just watches the exchange with something between amusement and mild horror. (It is Kane and her _Mom_ after all.)

"Honestly," Clarke says as Kane disappears into the distance. "You two have it bad… you're worse than Lincoln and O, and they're practically _married_."

Abby doesn't say anything, just watches the part of the forest that he disappeared into.

XxXxX

Kane now makes a point to wave at her through the window of the medical tent every time he returns to camp. Abby wonders wheth

er it's because he's finally noticed that she's completely changed her morning schedule to fit around his running routine (she doesn't come in early on a Wednesday or a Saturday; she tells herself it's because she deserves a lie in a couple of days a week…)

He occasionally says 'hello' or 'good morning', but normally it's just a small wave and a broad grin as he wanders to the showers. (It's one of the highlights of her day.)

XxXxX

One morning she and Clarke enter the tent after visiting a young girl suffering from flu, and Abby immediately notices a flower propped up on her desk. It's lilac and beautiful and she picks it up to smell its delicate scent.

There is a scribbled note underneath it.

_Saw this today, thought of you…_

There's no name but she knows precisely who it's from. She smiles before coughing and filling a small glass with water and placing the flower carefully inside. Clarke laughs but doesn't say a word.

XxXxX

She gives him a personalized water bottle for his birthday. She commissions Raven to make the bottle for her and asks Clarke (through gritted teeth and a lot of denial) to engrave his name on it. She leaves it on his desk while he's on patrol.

He doesn't thank her directly, but he salutes her with her present as he leaves for his run the next morning.

XxXxX

She notices one morning that he doesn't go for a run when he should and immediately becomes concerned. Her worries are allayed when he wanders into the medical tent an hour later. He's limping quite badly on his right leg.

"Are you ok?" she asks, motioning for him to sit on the stool. "I didn't see you go out for your usual run, although I guess I know why…" She gestures to his leg.

"Twisted my ankle last night on patrol," he explains, seemingly ignoring the fact that she seems to know his exercise schedule. "Didn't want to risk running on it today, it's quite painful. Could you have a look at it for me?"

"Of course," Abby replies, watching as he slips his boot and sock off and rests his foot in her lap. She lifts it up carefully, rubs her hands over it, and pokes gently at the swelling. She notices that he makes the appropriate pain responses as she touches his tender skin but never takes his eyes off her face. There's something dangerous in his eyes, a flicker of something every time her fingers sweep over his ankle.

"You need to rest it for a couple of days at least," she tells him, carefully wrapping a bandage around the swollen limb. "You've not broken it fortunately, but you have sprained it pretty badly. No weight on it if you can avoid it until the swelling goes down a little. I recommend resting up in bed for the day."

"Do you _really_?" he says, eyebrow raised in her direction, and Abby senses that he's either mocking her, or attempting to flirt. She's not sure which; she's a little out of practice.

"Yes," she answers, ignoring his stupid grin. She looks down at his ankle, assessing his injury again. "I'll have to get you in bed…" she informs him then groans as she realizes what she's said. "I mean, I'll help you get _into_ bed…" _Yeah_, she thinks, _that's not a lot better…_

Thankfully he doesn't say anything, just grabs his boot and sock in one hand and gets cautiously to his feet, wobbling slightly. Abby moves to stand next to him and he carefully swings his arm around her shoulder. She fits snugly under his arm and she notices that he doesn't place all her weight on her as she gives him the support he needs. The position is somewhat intimate and it feels good to have an excuse to be this close to him. Plus, he smells _really_ nice.

They slowly make their way back to his cabin, and Abby helps him settle onto his bed and elevates his ankle for him.

"I'll check on you later," she says, because she is a medical professional and that's what she should do. Abby ignores the fact that she could probably send Clarke to do it instead.

Kane smiles, nods and leans back on his bed. He's got a book in his hand and the whole thing feels incredibly domestic. Abby sighs and leans her head against the door as she leaves… Clarke is right; she's pretty sure she loves him. Damn it.

XxXxX

"You should come with me," he says three weeks after recovering from his ankle injury. He looks up from the water trough as he fills a bottle with fresh water and takes a long pull of the liquid, his throat bobbing enticingly with every swallow.

"Huh?" Abby _knows_ she's not being entirely comprehensible. But that's his fault really; the way his chest rises and falls sharply with each breath he takes and the way the sweat glistens on his brow is incredibly distracting. She's sure he's doing it on purpose.

"For a run," he says simply, watching her with a smirk on his face. "You should come with me one morning. It's quite liberating. Good exercise."

"Yeah, maybe," Abby replies, preoccupied by a bead of sweat that trickles down the side of his neck and disappears beneath the collar of his shirt. Clearly he is trying to kill her. He is obviously doing this on purpose…it's just like him.

"Good," Kane states, before he leans in, breath hot against her ear and whispers: "I look forward to it."

He walks off without another word and leaves Abby wondering what the hell just happened.

XxXxX

Clearly she has misunderstood something, because last time she checked, 'going for a run' did not mean 'make out passionately against a tree'. Still, that's what's happening right now. Not that she's complaining mind, she's just _really_ confused.

"Kane," she mutters as his lips move to her neck, nipping lightly against her skin. The touch causes her to gasp and Abby forgets what she's trying to say. "Marcus," she tries again, "what are you doing?"

"Kissing you," he states simply, licking across her collarbone.

"Yes, but why?"

"Because I've wanted to for weeks, ever since you started watching me… it's been driving me insane."

"How on Earth did you know I was watching you?"

"Oh come on… changing your schedule so you're in early every morning, at precisely the same time I leave every day, but conveniently only working early the days I run? Happening to be around in the medical tent every time I return? I'm not blind Abby. Plus, you blush whenever you see me in my running kit; it's kind of a giveaway." He leans in, kisses her deeply, his tongue doing _something_ to make her toes curl. "Although, the blushing _is_ a very attractive look on you…" he jokes as he leans his forehead against hers.

"Shut up," Abby says simply, dragging him down for another kiss, ignoring his deep chuckle as she wraps her arms around him, sticks one of her hands into his slightly damp hair, her fingers gripping onto it as he nips playfully at her earlobe.

"We should have done this months ago," he gasps as he suddenly lifts against her against the rough bark of the tree. Her legs automatically wrap around him and he moans as she presses against him.

She can't find the words to say so she keeps kissing him.

When they return an hour later, hot, sweaty and out of breath, she's sure no one suspects a thing; that the two of them have just been out for a run and nothing else. (Except maybe Clarke, who nudges Bellamy next to her and raises a knowing eyebrow in their direction.)

XxXxX

Their morning routines change delegates more early shifts to Clarke and Kane tends not to run as often in the morning. Sure, he'll occasionally go for a lap around the lake, but he finds that he can get just as much exercise at home instead…

XxXxX


End file.
